Sacred Cows #5- "Judge Not!"
The most quoted Bible verse is probably still John 3:16 (at least according to BibleGateway) but some say that another one is gaining ground on that perennial favorite. The one that may be gaining ground is from Matthew's Sermon on the Mount- "Judge not, lest ye be judged." I'd like to offer a few remarks about how some misuse this verse today and also about how it should be interpreted.
The problem with how this verse is commonly used today is that it is used as a blanket statement that one should never make value judgments. It becomes then another way of supporting one of the characteristics of post-modernism- that truth is relative, that there is no absolute truth. This injunction- "Judge Not" has been used as an excuse not to oppose everything from adultery to theft to pornography. In this way- one can see someone doing what is clearly unjust by traditional standards, but be absolved from any responsibility to act. Had Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and others not made a judgment about Nazi influence in the German church they would never have taken the bold stand they did. If the black ministers of Birmingham, including Martin Luther King, Jr., not judged the injutice of society the Civil Rights Movement wouldn't have happened.
The Bible does in fact tell us to judge. Read 1st Corinthians 5 and tell me Paul's saying we shouldn't judge. For that matter Jesus himself describes casting out of the church those who are unrepentant in Matthew 18. We are told to "test the spirits" in 1st John 4. We are in fact called upon to make judgments and be discerning repeatedly in scripture. This is but part and parcel of being the light of the world.
What did Jesus mean then with "Judge not, lest ye be judged?" One obvious meaning is that ultimate judgment is left for God. It's not my call to say what the eternal fate of any one particular individual or group is. Often we hear this question- "Will the person in the unknown tribe in the rain forest be condemned even though he's never heard the gospel?" The safest answer based upon Matthew 7 is to leave that hypothetical person's fate in the hands of a just and merciful God. Beyond that, this verse is clearly warning against judgmentalism. If we are narrow and harsh, showing no mercy in our dealings with others, should we dare to presume that God is going to show extravagant grace toward us? This verse is also a healthy reminder that we shouldn't presume to judge without knowing the facts of a case. If the facts and evidence show a person to be guilty of this or that offense- we cannot say "judge not." However, we cannot presume another's guilt or innocence without knowing the facts.
So dear Christian friend. My counsel is to be sparing in your judgments. Don't rush to judgment. On the other hand, when evil, injustice, and oppression rear their ugly heads it is our duty to rise to the challenge and judge them for what they are and oppose them with every fiber of our being.
The problem with how this verse is commonly used today is that it is used as a blanket statement that one should never make value judgments. It becomes then another way of supporting one of the characteristics of post-modernism- that truth is relative, that there is no absolute truth. This injunction- "Judge Not" has been used as an excuse not to oppose everything from adultery to theft to pornography. In this way- one can see someone doing what is clearly unjust by traditional standards, but be absolved from any responsibility to act. Had Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and others not made a judgment about Nazi influence in the German church they would never have taken the bold stand they did. If the black ministers of Birmingham, including Martin Luther King, Jr., not judged the injutice of society the Civil Rights Movement wouldn't have happened.
The Bible does in fact tell us to judge. Read 1st Corinthians 5 and tell me Paul's saying we shouldn't judge. For that matter Jesus himself describes casting out of the church those who are unrepentant in Matthew 18. We are told to "test the spirits" in 1st John 4. We are in fact called upon to make judgments and be discerning repeatedly in scripture. This is but part and parcel of being the light of the world.
What did Jesus mean then with "Judge not, lest ye be judged?" One obvious meaning is that ultimate judgment is left for God. It's not my call to say what the eternal fate of any one particular individual or group is. Often we hear this question- "Will the person in the unknown tribe in the rain forest be condemned even though he's never heard the gospel?" The safest answer based upon Matthew 7 is to leave that hypothetical person's fate in the hands of a just and merciful God. Beyond that, this verse is clearly warning against judgmentalism. If we are narrow and harsh, showing no mercy in our dealings with others, should we dare to presume that God is going to show extravagant grace toward us? This verse is also a healthy reminder that we shouldn't presume to judge without knowing the facts of a case. If the facts and evidence show a person to be guilty of this or that offense- we cannot say "judge not." However, we cannot presume another's guilt or innocence without knowing the facts.
So dear Christian friend. My counsel is to be sparing in your judgments. Don't rush to judgment. On the other hand, when evil, injustice, and oppression rear their ugly heads it is our duty to rise to the challenge and judge them for what they are and oppose them with every fiber of our being.
Very clear. Thanks.
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